Process of and apparatus for making corrugated-metal railway-car ends with integral attaching flanges



' C. 5. SMITH PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CORRUGATED METAL RAILWAY CAR ENDS WITH INTEGRAL AITACHING' FLANGES Filed Oct. 50, 1924 INVENTOR. iqijrr/Egf: BY 67/5215: 5. Smrl/ W Maw,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,595,693 PATENT OFFICE.

GHARLES s. sMrrH, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB re A. o. sm-I'rn con- PORATION, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS- FOR MAKING CORRUGATED-METAL RAILWAY -CAB ENDS WITH INTEGRAL ATTACHING FLANGES.

Application filed October 30, 1924. Serial No. 746,717.

My invention resides in an improved method of transforming or converting flat metal blanks into sheets having a corrugated central section and plain side marginal portions forming integral flanges by means of which the sheet may be attached to the end of the railway car, and it. consists in subjecting such a flat'blank to the action of corrugating rollers to produce the desired configuration ofthe central portion, and the I same time turn the side marginal portions so that the latter will stand in planes normal to that of the sheet to form the attaching flanges.

The invention also resides in an improved machine provided with longitudinally grooved rollers which are adapted to form t the corrugations in the plates, such rollers also being constructed so as to turn theside flanges in the corrugating operation.

y improvement has greatly simplified the manufacture of structures .of this class, by eliminating some of the separate' operations heretofore performed. and permits the production of a completed corrugated car end with its attaching flanges by a single operation.

The invention will now be more fully dis closed, and the novelty residing. therein will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ,of a simple form of an apparatus embodying one aspect of the invention, and by means of which my improved process may be carried out.

1 Fig. 2'iS a vertical sectional view taken in the axial-line of the rollers and showing the formation of the flange producing construction.

Referring now to the drawing, the numerals 10 and llindicate upper and lower fluted driven rollers journaled at their ends in stands 12, oneof which is shown. The upper roller 10 is flat atits ends and is grooved or ribbed throughout its length. The lower roller 11 is'similarly grooved or ribbed for a' portion of its length corresponding to the same. formation in the roller 10, with which it co-operates, and is provided at its ends with circumferential flanges 13.

A work table 14- is associated with the rollers, the top of the table being in the-plane stands 12, the roller16 serving to hold the sheet flat upon thetable and acting also as a feedingroller to eflect the movement of the metals eet.

By reason of the ductile nature of the metal sheet 15, the surface of the sheet is easily distorted from its mill state as it passes between the rollers 10 and 11, and is converted into the desired formation. In such operation, the flanges 13 at the ends of the roller 11 turn up. the plain side margins of the metal sheet, and press such margins against the ends of the roller 10,.to form the attaching flanges 17 for the car end, so that such margins or flanges will then stand in planes which are normal to that of the sheet. At the same time, the rollers .10 and 11 form the transverse corrugations 18 in that portion of the sheet which extends between the upturned flanges.

A guiding plate 19, supported by depend ing arms 20, is spaced from the top of the table and parallel therewith at the rear of the rollers so as to permit the passage of the corrugated section 18 of the sheet, and

at the same time confine the sheet so; that it will emerge in a flat plane. Vertically disposed longitudinal guides 21 are arranged at the sides of the table at the rear of the .rollers 10 and 11, so as to direct the flanges 17 of the corrugated sheet in their upstanding positions.

By means of the very simple apparatus shown, I am enabled to transform flat metal sheets into corrugated sheets with the side margins upturned so as to constitute the attaching flanges, and in doing so I have eliminated many of the operations incident to the production of structures of this class by known methods, and have also greatly re-- duced the cost of their production. :The molecules of the metal sheet flow freely under the combined pressures exerted, so that the sheet readily assumes the formation desired in passing through the rollers.

Having thus described my invention what ent of the United States, is:

I05 I claim and desire tov secure by Letters Patends formed as corrugated plates with integral flanges, which consists in provldlng a pair of rollers having corrugations less in length than the Width of the metal sheet,

passing the sheet through the rollers so as to corrugate the central section thereof, and in the same operation turning the side margins of the sheet into flanges standing normal to the plane of the sheet, and guiding the corrugated and flanged plate so as to preserve the plane thereof.

2. In a machine for converting flat metal sheets into corrugated plates with integral flanges for attachment to the ends of a railway car, fluted rollers through which the sheets are passed to produce the corrugations, and co-operating means at the ends of the rollers for turning the flanges into positions normal to the plane of the sheet, and means for guiding the corrugated sheet through the machine to preserve it in the plane of its corrugations.

3. In a machine for converting fiat metal sheets into corrugated plates with integral flanges for attachment to the ends of a railway car, a flute roller flat at its ends and a co-operating fluted. roller provided with flanges at its ends to turn the margins of the sheets against the flat ends of the first roller and into planes normal to that of the sheet.

4. Ina machine for converting flat metal sheets into corrugated plates with integral .flanges for attachment to the ends of a railsheets into corrugated plates with integral flanges at the sides for attachment to the ends of railway cars, a pair of fluted rollers acting to produce such corrugations and provided with means at their ends for turning the margins of the sheet to form the said flanges, and means for guiding the corrugated and flanged sheet through the ma'- chine.

6. In a machine for converting metal sheets into corrugated plates with integral flanges for attachment to the ends of a railway car, a pair of fluted rollers between which the sheet is passed and by which its central portion is corrugated, one of such rollers having flat ends and the other having flanges to turn the margins of the sheet into planes which are normal to the plane of the sheet, a table over which the sheet is passed, and means at the rear of'the rollers for guiding the corrugated and flanged plate to preserve it in the plane of the corrugations.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 27th day of October, 1924..

O. S. SMITH. 

